pom

I remember the day like it was a few weeks ago (because, well, it was a few weeks ago). I got a suspicious email from someone named the POMblogger. Since I get at least 50 pieces of SPAM a day, I was thisclose to just hitting the delete button, but then I read the title.... Hello from POM wonderful! I thought to myself "I like POM.!" Then I was like, "hmmm, blogger?" I have a blog. I wonder if the two could be related.

When I opened the email, I was very surprised to see that Janny, blog searcher-outer extraordinare, had stumbled across my blog. The email stated that she wanted to send me a free sample of their juice! I thought to myself for a split second that she must have mistaken my blog for someone else's, but then she commented on some of my content and I knew it was my blog she had been reading. Do you have any idea how cool that made me feel?

The awesome thing is that I already knew that I liked POM. I'm a huge fan of cranberries and cranberry juice, which is what is most closely resembles, though a bit thicker and more flavorful. My mind went kind of wild when thinking about the possibilities of what I could make with it.

I have some great cocktails in my arsenal that feature pomegranate juice, though the alcohol may negate the many health benefits, but c'est la vie! You can be healthy and tipsy at the same time, right?

*Pomegranate Grenadine*

1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup sugar

Combine the two ingredients in a saucepan and let boil for about 10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half. Let cool.

Use this in any way that you might use regular grenadine. For instance, in a...

*Laverne and Shirley*
...because she is a bit saucier than good old Shirley Temple
2 oz good vodka
1/2-1 oz pomegranate grenadine
7-up
pomegranate seeds

Shake the vodka and grenadine with some ice. Pour over a glass full of ice and top with 7-up. Garnish with a spoonful of pomegranate seeds.

sushi nishi-ya

Do you remember the infamous Soup Nazi of Seinfeld fame? Here is his description via Wikipedia:

A stone-faced immigrant chef with a thick Stalin-esque moustache, he is renowned throughout Manhattan for his soups. He demands that all customers in his restaurant meticulously follow his strict queuing, ordering, and payment policies. Failure to adhere to his demands brings the admonishment, "No soup for you!", whereupon the customer is refunded and denied his or her order.

Sushi Nishi-ya in Glendale stars the same idea of that character in the form of a much gentler, though still imposing, superbly talented Japanese sushi chef. Behind the bar in this teeny-tiny, mom and pop run strip-mall sushi joint, he won't refuse service as the soup nazi would. However, he will tell you what you can order and when you can order it. His motto is you get what he gives you, in essence. Read the sign. The chef is the boss. His first question is, "is there any type of fish you don't like?" And from there, he takes charge. He even instructs you with which dishes you may use soy sauce.

If you put your faith in him, you will not be disappointed. Everything is extremely fresh and meticulously prepared by the sushi chef. Even the wasabi is freshly grated.

Because the restaurant is so intimate, I felt a little sneaky and disrespectful snapping pictures, so I only got a few and the ones I did are blurry and annoying, but I'll post them anyway.
If you are thinking about going to Nishi-ya and want to be surprised at the omakase, I would suggest not reading the following blurb. The sushi chef picks out the fish from mongers several times a week, so it does change up based on what looks best, but of the 3 times I've eaten here, it has only varied slightly. I know it seems silly, but the whole experience is kind of fun and adventurous to go into blindly, so read or don't read, it's your choice!

- marinated maguro from Boston
- fresh hamachi from Osaka (one belly, one back)
- smoked and fresh salmon with kelp from Scotland
- fresh scallop from Okaido
- blue crab hand-roll from Maryland
- fresh albacore with Ponzu sauce from Japan
- toro from Spain
It is fantastic every time I have it. The only negative I can fathom is the portion size, which is admittedly small for the price, but when it comes to raw fish, quality is far more important to me than quantity. If you eat the sushi and drink a beer, you will be more than satiated.

Good quality sushi, well-prepared and served by an informed and talented sushi chef in an intimate setting. Service is great and there's rarely a wait, but you may want to call ahead to ensure your seats at the bar.

sangria

This is some good stuff.

Sangria is one of those drinks that is easily made with what's already in your fridge: the wine (red, white, rose), the sweetener(sugar or fruit juice), the fruit(tons of options here), the bubbly(sparkling water, lemon lime soda, none). So much of it is simply taking what you have and adjusting the the amounts so that it tastes yummy. Play around with it and have fun!

Plus, it's one of those make ahead batch drinks that you can prep the night before and put it out and let people help themselves. Easy, tasty, no fuss. What's not to love?

*Simple Sangria*
a bottle of decent red wine (I used a Spanish table wine)
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup triple sec
1 1/2 cups pomegranate lime juice (Trader Joes special!)
1/2 cup OJ
Any fruit you have available (I used apples, oranges, limes, strawberries)

Cut up fruit and throw it in all the liquids combined. Let it sit for a few hours, or even better, overnight. You can top it off with the bubbly or your choice or drink it straight over a big glass filled with ice.

It's a lovely drink to end a long weekend with!

katsu-ya

For years, Bran and I have had one major goal when dining out at places we know we're going to love. We want recognition. We want fame. Well, not really. We just want to be 'regulars.' You know, sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. And they're always glad you came? I can't believe that the first place that it happened was at the one and only Katsu-ya in Studio City.

For example, today we waltzed in and were greeted by warm smiles from every angle; "Irasshaimase (Japanese for please come in)!" they exclaimed. Our greeter asked "sushi bar or table?" Even though he already knew what we were going to say.

My favorite waiter, TK, came over to our table and greeted us, "Welcome back! Two sushi lunch specials, one with udon, one with tempura. I just can't remember what you normally order for drinks."

Party foul. I forgave him.

I said "I'd like an iced tea, please, and he'll have water. We'd also like an order of the crispy rice and spicy tuna today." I like to keep him guessing, you know?

But today, there was something different. I brought my camera to the table with me and unearthed her in the crowded restaurant. I'm sure it's nothing new to the crew from Studio City, mostly people in 'the industry,' anyway, but I felt kind of awkward snapping pictures throughout the meal. My Nikon D80 isn't the most covert camera in all the land.

But I finally got pictures, so I can finally blog on this awesome recession buster. I go to Katsu-ya at least twice a month on Saturdays to take advantage of the sushi lunch special- one piece each of a variety of sushi (tuna, hamachi, white fish, salmon, clam, sh imp, egg), one California roll, miso soup, and your choice of the following: veggie and shrimp tempura, udon soup, salmon skin salad, baked clams, or chicken teriyaki. All of this for just over 10 bucks. And the thing is, Katsuya has consistently been our favorite sushi restaurant around for the past 6 years or so, way prior to our knowing about this awesome recession buster. But one day we popped in for lunch and we found this little gem.

The sushi quality is top notch. The portions are generous. The tempura is light and crispy. The udon is fabulous. The price is right. The service is impeccable. Domo arigato!


One side note: order the crispy rice with spicy tuna. You will thank me.

toffee chocolate chip scones

Have I told you that I started bootcamp? Not military style, buzz cut requiring, kick your ass into the ground bootcamp, but a kick your ass gently while encouraging you to do be better and svelter bootcamp. I can attribute, at least partially, my lack of posting in the last weeks to a few things: West Coast Bootcamp, waking up a 5am to make it too said bootcamp, and my food journal. Yup, you read that right. Food journal. :(

So, I've been cutting back a bit lately. I'm drinking less booze, eating fewer sweets, making sure that I eat more meals throughout the course of the day. I'll never eliminate anything that I love from my diet. I think moderation is the key to eating healthfully, but I'm giving their way of life a shot. I told myself that at least for these 6 weeks, I'd follow their food plan during the week (kinda sorta) and I'll eat how I normally eat on the weekend. Well, guess what! It's SUNDAY! And I want scones.

*Toffee Chocolate Chip Scones*
(adapted from this epicurious recipe)
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup chocolate-covered English toffee bits
2 cups chilled whipping cream
zest of a lemon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Additional raw sugar for sprinkling

Preheat your oven to 375.

Mix together your dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips, toffee bits.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Add in the zest of a lemon.


Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. Once they are combined, turn the dough out on to a cutting board and knead until it comes together - it will be sticky! Once it has come together, cut it in 1/2 and form it into 2 logs. Cut each log into 1/3's (forming basically 3 squares) and each 1/3 in 1/2 (diagonally). You will be left with 12 triangular scones.

Place the scones on 2 Silpat-lined baking sheet. Brush them with the melted butter and sprinkle them with sugar (I use Maui raw can sugar). Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

If you look close enough, it kind of looks like an alligator. A delicious, sweet alligator.

s'mores cookie bars

I'm going to blow your mind right now. You are either going to think this the most vile and revolting concoction known to man or you will bow down and kiss my toes when I make these for you. I don't think there is too much in between here.

I have had a hankering for s'mores for weeks at this point. I don't know where it came from, but I do know when my sweet tooth speaks, I must listen. Since then, I have been on a desperate mission to curb this craving. I came across this recipe from the super cute fun blog, Lovin' From the Oven, and I knew this was it. This was the recipe that would quite my inner s'mores-demanding demons.

*S'mores Cookie Bars*
(adapted from Lovin' From the Oven)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking pan.

Cream together the butter and sugar (if you like a sweeter cookie, you can add another 1/3 cup white sugar). Mix in the egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder and salt.

Add your dry ingredients to the wet ones. Divide dough in half.

Press 1/2 the dough into your baking pan. Layer in your chocolate, then your marshmellow creme. Top with flattened remaining dough.

Pop in the oven for 30 minutes. Ding! It's dunzo. Wait to cut into this until it's cool or you will be sorry.

If loving these is wrong, I don't wanna be right!

mostly pantry puttanesca

Puttanesca Recipe + Picture of a Kitty= HEAD EXPLODIE! Are you totally creeped out right about now? I promise you, no cats were harmed in the making of this puttanesca. I have gotten fairly lazy with the picture taking and wanted to post this awesome recipe, and blogs require pics, so meet my other cat, Maeby. My friend and teammate (Go Jedi Masters!), Mustafa, let me borrow his lens, and this is part of that experiment. I must get me one of those.

So anyway, I did a quick look over teh interwebs today and found this little doosie on the origins of Puttanesca (via NY Times):

Ostensibly a sauce invented and made by prostitutes, it is said that pasta puttanesca was designed to lure customers with its aroma. Other explanations have more appeal to the minimalist cook: that the prostitutes were too busy to cook much, or that they had no storage for fresh ingredients and cooked entirely from the pantry. My favorite legend has it that it was a favorite not of prostitutes, but of women who wanted to serve a quick meal at home in order to move on to other things.

So yes, no picture this week. But you should still make this recipe. Because whores like to make it. Wait, what does that make me?

Bran and I have been eating really late lately. He gets home after 7 every night :( and if we want to drive by a house that has just come on the market (we're house-hunting!) or do anything else that necessitates light, we have to do it in that window right after he gets home. That doesn't leave much time for cooking. And to be honest, I have a busy schedule of watching reruns of Beverly Hills 90210 to tend to after I get home from work, so dinner sometimes gets pushed aside.

So at about 8:15 last night, the question came up about dinner. Of course we hadn't been to the store in a week and Bran said he was craving pasta with red sauce. So, I started throwing things into a pot. We had 2 cans of this, one can of that, some of these, a few of those, some veggies that were almost past their prime... Voila! It isn't a true version of puttanesca (with the omission of anchovies and the added veg), but it's what it most closely resembled.

*Mostly Pantry Puttanesca*
1 medium brown onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
5 uncooked Italian sausage links
2 14oz cans diced tomatoes
1 14oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1-2 tsp dried basil
2 heaping tbsp capers
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 cups baby broccoli, chopped into large pieces

Heat your pasta water! I always forget to do that.

Cover the bottom of your pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Put in your onions and sauté until they are transparent. Add in the garlic and sausage. Cook through.

Add in all of your other ingredients. Let simmer with the lid off until your pasta (I like spaghetti here) is cooked or about 15 minutes.

Eat it up. Yum.

lemony lemon cake with whipped lemon curd filling and buttercream icing

Confession: I steal lemons from my neighbors lemon tree. I know, I'm a terrible person, but they are hanging over the fence in my backyard, so technically they're mine, right? Not to mention the fact that this is the most fruitful lemon tree with the most beautiful lemons I've ever seen. The skins are rarely flawed, the pith is not too thick or too thin and they yield massive amounts of juice.

If you are unfortunate enough to not have a lemon tree in your own backyard (and your arms aren't long enough to reach over the fence to pick your neighbors), there are a few techniques to use to pick superb lemons at the grocery. You want to make sure they smell lemony, feel heavy for their size and are a bright yellow color (not green or dingy yellow). I hate coming home from the store and cutting into a lemon, only to be disappointed when, even after using all my might, I can only get about a tsp of juice out of it. It's an obsession, a game if you will. Sometimes I even line up different measuring receptacles and put a lemon next to each one. The lemon with the most juice wins.

Obviously, I am obsessed with lemons. Easter begs for lemons, Easter begs for cake, Easter Begs for lemon cake! So, here we go!

*Lemon Cake*
(courtesy of Country Living)
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup buttermilk

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 parchment-paper-lined 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a mixer set on medium speed. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the lemon juice and buttermilk.

Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick tests clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Unmold the cakes and cool completely

Split cakes into 4 layers using a long serrated knife. Fill with whipped lemon curd and frost with buttercream frosting, but don't be as sloppy as I was!

*Whipped Lemon Curd*
(Adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters)

Wash and dry:
4 lemons

Grate the zest of one of the lemons on the small holes of a grater. Juice the lemons; there should be about ½ cup juice.

Beat until just mixed:
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

Stir in the lemon juice and zest and add:
6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces.

Cook the mixture in a small nonreactive heavy pan, stirring constantly, over medium heat until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Do not boil or the eggs will curdle. When thick, pour through a sieve into a bowl or glass jars to cool. Cover and refrigerate.

Once the lemon curd is cold, whip up:
1 cup of heavy whipping cream

Fold the cold lemon curd into your whipped cream. Refrigerated until ready to use.

*Buttercream Frosting*
(courtesy of C&H sugar box:) )
3-3 3/4 cups of powdered sugar (1 box)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup butter

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer or with heavy spoon until smooth and creamy; scrape bowl often. If too stiff to spread easily, beat in a few drops of milk.

Happy belated Easter!

mixology monday! plan c, big-batch, minted lemon drop

Spring is in the drink... er.. air? This month, I'm participating in what's called Mixology Monday- a monthly drink submission bloggy community thing (got that?). The main thing to know is that I'm involved, it's fun, and this month, it's being hosted by The Wild Drink Blog. Check out both of these sites... you won't be sorry! This weeks theme is twists on classics. My (third tier) drink of choice is a regular old lemon drop, but the twist is the addition of mint (I know, I know, big whoop) AND the versatility of making it in bigger batches so that it's absolutely minimal fuss. It's a twist in flavor, method, and service.

I came into this drink challenge with high hopes. On Friday night, I got myself to my favorite liquor store and perused the shelves to find a liqueur/liquor/mixer that might spark an interest. I have already blogged on my current drink of choice, so I had to go to plan B. I remembered my foray to a little bar in San Francisco, where I discovered a maraschino cherry liquor called Luxardo. I remembered it being not terribly sweet and not at all like cherry. It seemed like a challenge I was up to.

I got home Friday night and enlisted Audrey's help. We mixed the luxardo into everything that we could think of... I mixed it into a margarita, she tried a lemon drop, we tried a cosmo, we tried straight up with gin. Nothing, and I mean nothing, turned out remotely delicious. Sure, they were palatable, but since I might have more than my regular 5-10 viewers for this post, I wanted to make sure that it was spectacular. (BTW, does anyone have a tried and true recipe for Luxardo? I'm feeling defeated.)

Since Friday came and went and I already knew that I needed a drink to serve for Easter, I wanted to make a big batch of something I *know* everyone loves. I call it, plan C. So I went to my ace in the hole- a minted lemon drop.

It's showcases everything that's good with spring, great for large parties, and very versatile. Making drinks in big batches is sometimes exactly what the doctor ordered.

*minted lemon drop*
3 cups vodka
2 cups lemon juice
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup mint, torn into pieces

Put all of the ingredients together. Mix up and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Serve in one of several ways: shake it up and pour it into a martini glass for a more traditional lemon drop look, put it over ice for backyard BBQ's, or top it off with sparkling water if you're a lightweight (this drink packs a punch)!

It's no fuss and fabulous!

saladang

My friend, Keoni, is a man of simple tastes. He enjoys eating very few things in this world: chicken, ramen, mac and cheese, a special family recipe custard pie, and, well, that's pretty much it. We are absolute opposites on the food/pleasure scale. He eats to live (sustenance). I live to eat (pleasure). This is why when he suggested eating Thai food that very first time I tried Saladang, I was a bit surprised. It's not that I don't trust his taste. It's just that I was shocked that he would suggest something to out of his comfort zone. He done good.

We tried. It was excellent. Happiness commenced.

I really like Saladang. So, it's not authentic. The flavors are fresh and good and the service is fast and friendly. It's just yummy. My party of four ordered the green curry with shrimp, pad se iew, pad thai, BBQ beef and Tom Yum Pak. We order pretty much the same thing every time we go because we are consistently happy with it. Sometimes it's good to know what you're going to get and Saladang delivers.

My absolute favorite is the Tom Yum. I call it foot soup because, to be frank, it smells like foot. But it sure doesn't taste like it. Fresh, fork tender veggies overflow in this spicy, sour soup. It's fills you up on good, tasty, healthy calories before the rest of the meal, which is always a good thing.

Oh yes, One last thing. I may be a little partial. Saladang did cater my wedding ::cough cough:: We had 10 different dishes, buffet style, and all were very, very good. I was happy. Plus, we fed 100 people for under $2000. This is UNHEARD OF in the wedding community. Choices usually are between chicken, beef, or fish. We had the options of pad thai, seafood medley, salad rolls, yellow curry, BBQ beef, pad se iew, etc. Everyone told me they loved the food, and I don't think it's just because I was the bride. Although possibly colored by the emotions of the day, I loved the food at my wedding. Saladang is good stuff.

crumbs bake shop

I really do not like the Americana in Glendale. I avoid it at all costs, unless, of course, I'm shopping at Anthropologie, because, well, I love Anthropologie (can't help it!). I had a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble, and since that's the closest one I could think of on my way home from work, I braved Brand Blvd during rush hour.

While walking from my car (parked where the old Mervyns used to be to avoid paying for parking... shhhh!), I walked by a little bakery that I had passed by serveral times in the past, Crumbs Bake Shop. I decided to press my luck because we're talking cupcakes, people!

I walked in and I have to say, it was cute and inviting, albeit somewhat sterile. I was the sole person in the shop, although it could be due to the unfortunate, off the beaten path, location it holds on Brand Blvd, where only cheapies like me pass by when they steal parking lot time. When I got in, the case was full of muffin-sized creations priced anywhere from $3-$5. With Brandon in mind, I took home a Boston Cream and a Chocolate Chocolate Buttercream cupcake.

We split up the cupcakes that night. I really could only eat half a cupcake, so I cut them into quarters and tried a bit of each one. The boston cream was first. The cake itself was very moist because vanilla custard that was infused in it. It was good, not great. The chocolate chocolate had some problems in the cake department. It was somewhat of a dry crumb, but not distractingly dry. The frosting made up for it. It wasn't that cloying fake buttercream that you get at grocery stores (although, who am I kidding, there is definitely a time and a place where I could bathe myself in that stuff). It was just the right sweet, chocolate, buttery. Yum.

Overall, a bit experience, but I would eat one again. And, after checking out the site, I see that they are pretty much all over the show, so there might be one in your area. CUPCAKES! It's hard to screw up too badly, but it's also hard to perfect them. These are good!

bonny doon pacific rim dry riesling

I like wine as much as the next snob. I try, try, try to study up on the different grapes and regions because it's all a lot of fun, you know, trying the wines and such. Being completely honest here, I do love wine and I find it really, very interesting, but there is of course this other reason to learn- I don't want to sound like a complete moron when ordering at a fancy restaurant. I always freeze up when I go into a nifty wine shop or order at a swanky restaurant. I know a fair amount, but when you get handed the wine list, there is an air of snobbery that you get dealt as well. I mean, am I supposed to decide between the $40 Pinot Noir and the $75 bottle? It's just a complete stab in the dark unless you are really well versed. I'm not. So, when this happens, I usually take the suggestions of the sommelier/wine dude. They generally steer me in the right direction and I get to learn about/try new wines.

However, the bottom line is that you can like a $10 bottle of wine just as much as you like a $30 bottle. The Bonny Doon Pacific Dry Riesling is the perfect example of that. It's not too sweet, crisp, and it's generally a really easy to find, solid bottle of white for a pretty spring evening. Pairs especially well with seafood or something with a kick to it. Even Jack likes it!

mango jicama salad

LOST is one of my very favorite shows ever and I'm lucky enough to have a small group of friends who love it as much as I do. We make every Wednesday a celebration. It's the perfect mid-week perk up! That is, until you realize that it's already 9:40 and your DVR didn't record the show! This meal made up for our technological mishap. Imagine if we had ordered in bad chinese. I would have been pissed!

Being that this was a party, and we are in our very last days of the winter, there is nothing better to ring in the first days of spring with than fruit. I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of fruit in savory salads, but this one is different. It's not quite sweet, not quite savory, semi salty, very tangy, slightly spicy. It's crispy, fresh and just plain yummy. I paired it with a delicious chile lime marinated chicken breast, grilled quesadilla and a chilly glass of Gewurztraminer. Perfect LOST night vittles.

*mango jicama salad*
3 mangoes, diced
4 ears of corn
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 pound jicama, diced
handful of cilantro, chopped
3 limes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Mexican fruit and veggie seasoning**
salt and pepper

Grill your corn until you get nice dark grill marks throughout. Corn doesn't need to be cooked for long. In fact, if it's really good corn, it can usually be eaten straight off the cob. I digress... Let your down cool down and cut it off the cob.

Once completely cool, mix together your corn, mango, red onion, jicama and cilantro. Top with the lime juice, olive oil, and fruit and veggie seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.

This is even better if you can make it ahead of time and let it meld together in the fridge.

Fresh and tasty!

**If you can't find or don't have the Mexican fruit seasoning, you can sub in chile powder or a pinch of cayenne pepper.

chocolate sauce

I have been trying for years to get my mom to stay with me in the kitchen and actually measure out the ingredients for her infamous chocolate sauce. My mom has been busy her whole life, so when she does something, she does it as quick as she can, and unfortunately that has always meant not measuring out her ingredients. My sisters and I get super annoyed because this chocolate sauce is delectable, and ours never turns out as well as hers!

Well, finally, after much ado about something, I got her to write it down! This makes me so happy! This chocolate sauce is not like chocolate fudge... It's thinner and when warmed and poured over ice cream, it won't slip right off. Instead, it coats the ice cream with a beautiful chocolate netting. I like a scoop of double rainbow with buckets of sauce on top.

*Chocolate Sauce*
2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1/2 c corn syrup
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Put the first four ingredients in a larger saucepan than you think you'll need - this has the propensity to boil over. Whisk constantly over medium high heat until it starts to simmer. Turn the heat to low. Leave simmering, uncovered. Do not touch again. Turn on an episode of Golden Girls. Watch to completion without fast forwarding through commercials.

30 minutes later your sauce is done cooking. Turn it off and take it off the heat. Stir in your butter and vanilla. Let cool for a bit. Bottoms up!

searing scallops

This is the kind of meal that Brandon will, after tasting, put his fork down and come kiss me before I've even made my plate. Little does he know, the most time difficult part of the whole meal is the fighting the traffic home from Fish King after picking up the ingredients (sidenote: there actually is never traffic on my route home... it's all surface streets and takes a grand total of 7 minutes to get home). It just goes to show that good doesn't have to equal difficult. Cliche, yes, I know, but it's true! ::I'm feeling more and more like Rachel Ray every day:: :*(

The most important rule about scallop cooking... you absolutely must start out with quality scallops. This may mean a special trip out to your local seafood monger, but trust me, they basically cook themselves. When you are perusing the scallops, make sure you get 'dry' scallops. Wet ones have been soaked in chemicals and are nearly impossible to get the kind of sear that you're looking for. They only take a few minutes to cook, so if you have a couple quick sides, your meal can be to the table in under 10 minutes! So much better than take out.

*Simple Seared Scallops*

dry, good quality scallops
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter

Get your sautee pan nice and hot over high heat. Like Christian Bale in American Psycho hot (weird simile, eh?). Put in your butter and oil at the same time, and heat it through until the butter stops bubbling and cracking.

While it's heating up, dry your scallops off thoroughly. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

When you're ready, put the scallops in the pan. Wait! Don't touch them. Leave those little guys in there so they can develop a nice brown crust. You want them to be rare in the center, so you are only going to cook them about 2 minutes per side for medium sized scallops. Mine were big, so to avoid burning, I turned the heat down once they were browned and let them cook about another minute on a lower heat. If yours aren't terribly large, you won't need to do this.

Serve immediately!

These are so yummy. I got my scallops from Fish King in Glendale, so I picked up a quart of 'not-fried-rice' to make it was a kick-ass, crazy-easy meal. Top the whole meal off with a glass of chablis or dry riesling... heaven.

chicken tikka masala

I kind of don't know where to start this post. This would be a good place. I came across Alosha's blog one day, before I had subscribed to Cook's Illustrated online. I was googling "Cooks Illustrated" + "Potato Salad" and boy, I got an earful about ATK and their PR department! Kind of disappointing, actually.

Now, I'm sure I don't have to worry about the ATK cops lurking behind one of my 12 unique visitors. I have to admit, a good part of this recipe was 'inspired' by the cooks illustrated recipe that I've used several times, but it is by no means an exact replica. Lucky for me, no one reads this blog! Woot! :*(

*Chicken Tikka Masala*
Chicken Marinade:
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
3/4 cup yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp garlic (3 or 4 cloves)
1 tbsp ginger
4-6 chicken breasts or better yet, thighs
Masala Sauce:
1 large onion
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp ginger
1 jalapeno (seeds and ribs in if you like it with a bit of a kick)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp garam masala
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
handful of cilantro

For the marinade: Sprinkle the chicken with the spices and let them mellow for a few miniutes. In a plastic bag, combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic and lemon juice. Put the chicken in the bag and put it in the fridge for an hour to marinate.

For the sauce: cook the onions on medium heat for 10 minutes or so, or until they are just browned. Salt and pepper those puppies to deepen the flavor. Dump in your garlic, ginger, jalapeno, tomato pasta and garam masala. Let those mellow over the heat for 3 minutes or so, then add in your crushed tomatoes and sugar. Cover and simmer.

Now, start your chicken. You can either grill it on a grill pan or BBQ or broil it if the mood strikes. I prefer grill pan, but it does leave quite the mess. Anyway, take your chicken out of the marinade and cook it however strikes your fancy.

Just before the chicken is done, add in the cream to the sauce and bring it up to a simmer. When it is just there, take it off the heat and adjust your seasonings.

When the chicken is done, cut it up into bite size pieces and put it into the sauce. Serve over rice. Not too difficult, right?

zankou, zankoo, zankow?

Fancy to-go box, eh? Zankou chicken makes a styrofoam box look like a golden platter from whence the gods eat. Ok, maybe not, but it sure made my tummy happy.

Finger licking delicious, tender chicken tarna? Check!
Addictively tangy, crunchy, yummy pickled turnips? Check! (I ate all of mine AND Brandon's)
Smooth, lemony, not too garlicky hummus? Check!
Pita bread to wrap it all up in? You betcha!

Zankou really is a Glendale, and quickly becoming a more widely known Southern California, institution. Everyone around knows about the legendary chicken and garlic sauce. Dude, it's even in Wikipedia! You ain't no one until you make Wikipedia. It's also in the Beck song, Debra ::clears throat::

"Like a fruit that's ripe for the picking'
I wouldn't do you like that
Zankou Chicken
'Cause only you got a thing
That I just got to get with"

I hear the whole roast chicken is really the piece de resistance, but the tarna was very, very good. My mom got the trip-tip shawerma and my bro for the falafel wrap. Both were very happy with the meal, although the tri-tip was a bit dry, like it had been sitting around for a while maybe? You don't go to Zankou for the beef, though. Go for the freaking fabulous fowl!

parmesan polenta with sausage ragout

Do I make anything *without* sausage these days? I mean really people! I swear I usually don't cook like this, but it's been so cold and wet this last month that I've been craving it. And it's been in the fridge, so that's motivation enough.

This is the easiest meal ever. I originally got it from epicurious, but I changed it a bit and mine tastes better!

*Parmesan Polenta with Sausage Ragout*

4 links spicy sausage
2 bell peppers
1 package mushroom, more for the mushroom lovers
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 c. marinara sauce (homemade or bottled)
2 lbs polenta (I use 2 of those Trader Joe's tubes)
Parmesan cheese

Heat your oven to 450 degrees.

Heat up your sausage in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it's brown, add in your mushrooms and bell peppers (you can add red pepper flakes if you like it spicy, but remember that the sausage is also hot). Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in your wine and marinara and bring the mixture up to a boil. Let it simmer until it has reduced a bit, about 10 minutes.

In the meantime, cut your polenta into 1/2-3/4 inch slices on the bias. Place them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle them with parmesan chees, approx. 1 tbsp on each piece. Put them in the oven for about 5 minutes. Once they are warmed all the way through, place them in your broiler to melt the cheese and let it turn to a lovely golden brown.

Serve 2 pieces of polenta with a big heap of the ragout. Pair with a bold red wine.

Haven't I mentioned that I'm writing a cookbook? 1001 Ways to do Sausage (badum bum, tsssss!).

my pixel is a star

Not food related! I just made my first lolcat. Back to food blogging later this evening, I just had to share this.

miso soup

Miso soup is one of those things that I crave from time to time. The little packets of dried soup with sorry tofu floaters and sad specks of seaweed quench my cravings for a second, but it's just not the same :( Lucky for me, Glendale has a pretty big Korean population, so naturally, has a supermarket to cater to that demographic. I reap the benefits ;) HK has all sorts of interesting Asian foods, most of which I can't even decipher the contents, save the pictures on the packaging.

So I walked in the market with my right hand gal, Audrey (I'm with her often, right?), and we didn't really know what we wanted to make for dinner. We were completely ravenous (I went hypo-gly-psycho in the store and almost passed out, but cute little Korean gummy candies helped me off the ledge). We thought we'd do sushi (more on that later!) since we had started white rice on our way out the door, and what goes better with that than homemade super easy miso soup! Audrey's dad is Japanese, so she has lots of experience with Japanese foods and has a repertoire of recipes that she can replicate by site and taste. Here's one of 'em:

*Miso Soup a la Audrey*
12 cups water
5 heaping tsp hon dashi
1 package tofu cut into bite sized pieces
10 green onions 6 roughly chopped, 4 finely chopped
10 shitake mushrooms, cut in thick slices
1 small daikon, roughly chopped
1/2 cup white miso paste

Bring the water to a boil. Add in the hon dashi. Mix to combine.

Add everything else except the miso paste and finely chopped green onion. Boil that up for a few minutes. Add in your miso and green onion. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a couple minutes until you're ready to serve.

C'mon, that was blindfolded monkey easy, eh?